Aligning critical minerals with climate, biodiversity, and social goals
The energy transition is driving unprecedented demand for the minerals needed for renewable energy, storage, defense and electrification. Yet mining still carries legacy challenges— limited Indigenous participation, biodiversity loss, and strained community relations. Existing standards and policies help, but many were built for a different era and do not meet today’s equity, climate, and nature needs.
We are at a critical juncture for the energy transition and nature. We know what’s needed: accelerated mineral production to enable climate action while protecting and restoring biodiversity. Impacted communities must have a seat at the table, and Indigenous and Tribal Nations should drive decisions in their traditional territories. Technology can address legacy mine waste and reduce impacts at new and active sites. Circularity incentives can help secure metals from waste, accelerate recycling, and improve design. We can transform mining—but it requires leadership and collaboration across sectors.
RESOLVE’s Mission Critical initiative is a five-year effort to modernize policy and standards, influence markets, build capacity, and deploy tools and technologies so that critical minerals are produced in ways that benefit people and nature. Our work spans six programs of action under three areas:
1. Nature Positive: We help companies invest in high-value conservation opportunities through Nature Lift and support community-led restoration of abandoned and orphaned sites through Regeneration Foundation.
2. Community Agreements & Collaboration: We expand access to information, tools, and networks through the Resource Exchange and strengthen consensus-building capacity through a global Resource Mediation network.
3. Accelerating the Energy Transition: We convene experts in a Policy Lab to design actionable, innovative policy and regulatory options, and develop open-source Transition+ Minerals Standards that buyers, investors, and governments can use to recognize leading minerals projects.
For more information, or to explore partnership opportunities, please contact Amber Johnston-Billings.
At RESOLVE, we’re here to tackle the toughest global challenges. The ones nobody else wants to touch. Where people are in conflict and planet problems are stuck. We’re here to unstick them. It’s not easy. It takes grit and ingenuity. And finding and working with the right partners. But we’re not called RESOLVE for nothing.
